Company: Overgas Inc.
Company Description: Established in 1991 Overgas Inc. is the biggest company in the Bulgarian gas industry. In 2006 the Overgas brand topped the energy business list in the world Superbrands ranking for Bulgaria. The company holds the controlling interest in 29 subsidiaries, covering 35.42% of the country’s territory but has 54. 90% of the licences in the country.
Nomination Category: Company & Office Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program in Europe

Nomination Title: Over-talent: Investment in youth

   1. Tell the story about what this nominated company achieved (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

          The corporate social mission and vision of Overgas has always been geared to the
          upbringing of successful young people – confident, competent, determined and
          actively involved in the community. Under its youth-oriented programs Overgas is
          currently supporting about 13 700 children, teenagers and youths having invested
          in them over BGN 14 million (EUR 7 million) in 2007 alone. The company's major
          projects, part of its CSR program, are:

            1. The Bulgarian School Program
            2. Overgas Basket Academy
            3. National Competition for Best Gas Technician
            4. The Soul of A Source Contest

          1.           The Bulgarian School Program
          135 children are currently studying under the Overgas Bulgarian School Program –
          the youngest are in the Sunny Bunny kindergarten and the others are at the
          pre-school center of the company’s private school. The project is growing with
          each school year, each new phase being the next step to the ultimate goal – a
          twelve-grade school.
          The groundbreaking for the new Bulgarian School complex was made in the summer
          of 2007. The project amounts to BGN 8 million (EUR 4 million) and will
          incorporate a kindergarten, a primary school and a secondary school. It will be
          fully completed in 2009.

          2.           Overgas Basket Academy
          One of the reasons underlying the company’s incentive to invest in mass sports
          for youths is the growing rate of drug-addicted adolescents in Bulgaria. The
          objective of the company’s program for children’s and teenagers’ basketball,
          launched in 2003, is promotion of discipline, a sense of responsibility,
          communication and work in team skills, concern about the physical culture, as
          well as consolidation of the system of values. It is now called Overgas Basket
          Academy and incorporates a national network of schoolchildren's basketball
          teams. Over 3 440 children train completely free of charge in the company's
          schools, located in 34 towns nationwide under the guidance of renowned coaches.
          The Basket Academy has its first champions – the final playoff in 2008 nominated
          192 children in 16 teams.

          3.           National Competition for Best Gas Technician
          The National Competition for Best Gas Technician was initiated in 2006. The idea
          was prompted by the willingness to bridge a gap in the Bulgarian vocational
          education, to enhance its quality and to draw young people's attention to the
          job opportunities in the sphere of gas supply. The competition is held each year
          for 12- and 13-graders from Gas Technology classes. The Gas Technology classes
          themselves are partially funded by Overgas.The finalists are awarded big prizes
          from the company, are invited to join it without another competition and since
          2008 the winners are admitted without examinations to do a Master's Degree in
          this subject at Bulgaria's universities.
          The three editions of the competition so far have involved 396 top students from
          20 vocational colleges in the country. Since last year the National Competition
          for Best Gas Technician is part of the official calendar of vocational education
          of the Ministry of Education and Science. Other companies have followed suit in
          similarly supporting the vocational education.
           
          4.           The Soul of A Source Contest
          Guided by the responsibility that the implementation of state-of-the-art models
          and practices in the sphere of education nationwide is of crucial importance
          Overgas and the Young Bulgaria Foundation jointly with the municipality of
          Yambol initiated the National contest for young writers and artists The Soul of
          a Source in 2004. Over 2 340 teenagers have already participated in the four
          editions of the contest. The winners are awarded one-year scholarships at
          prestigious Bulgarian schools of arts and humanitarian studies. The Soul of a
          Source is discovering and supporting  young talents  who successfully continue
          their artistic career and sweep  awards  and recognition at international forums.

          With its projects in addition to its direct professional responsibility in the
          sphere of education, basketball, culture and ecology Overgas is investing in the
          personality development of young people to help them understand that the world
          is interesting, different and constantly changing, that they can be actively and
          fully involved in it with dignity and confidence in their own power, that they
          can make society better, apply their skills creatively and show tolerance.

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

          http://www.overgas.bg
          http://www.bulgarianbasket.com
          http://www.mladabg.org/

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated company:

          The Executive Director of Overgas, Mr. Sasho Dontchev is following the saying
          “Turn education into profession, profession – into success and share this
          success with the others”. Sasho Dontchev is currently managing over 1800 young
          people in the utility sector. Sasho has graduated the State University of Oil
          and Gas in Moscow and the University of National and World Economy in Sofia with
          honors. He is an Academician of the Russian Academy of Technological Sciences.
          He has been awarded the American prize for automatic welding of High-Pressure
          pipelines. He is Honorary Member and holder of the Gold Token of the
          International movement Ecoforum for Peace and important prizes in categories of
          Investor in Education, Investor in Environment, Investor in Community as well as
          for promotion of Bulgarian economy.